MADRID (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers) - Spanish basketball supremo Jorge Garbajosa has stressed the importance of having breaks during the season for national teams to play qualifying games for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China.

There will be six windows, including the first in November, during which players will leave their clubs and join their national teams to play official games for the right to qualify for FIBA's flagship event taking place in eight Chinese cities from August 31-September 15 2019.

"FIBA worries about the global good and not just some clubs." - Spanish Basketball Federation President Jorge Garbajosa

"There was a need (to do something)," Garbajosa, the President of the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB), said in an interview with Spanish sports daily Marca. "You had to organize an international tournament or otherwise, you wouldn't be able to see your national team in your country in official games."

Spain's fans always have a chance to see their team in the build-up to tournaments because of the friendlies against other countries that the federation sets up, which it calls "la Ruta".

"The tour is good but they are just preparation games," Garbajosa said.

One of the changes, too, is that the FIBA EuroBasket will be staged once every four years instead of every two years.

"FIBA, thinking about the players, have taken out a European Championship so that they rest a summer," Garbajosa said.

Jose Garbajosa

In the November and February windows, NBA players will not be available and detractors often cite that aspect of the new system. However, most of the NBA players should be able to compete in the June-July and September windows of the Qualifiers.

"It's an opportunity for other players and their development." - Garbajosa

"It's impossible that everyone is in agreement but it is a good product," Garbajosa said, before drawing a comparison to international football. "Nothing is perfect, but in football there are (windows) and nothing happens. The Argentinians love that Messi goes and plays for the national team in his own country. There will be (Angel) Di Maria's and (Javier) Mascheranos."

In other words, if an NBA player is unavailable, there will be plenty of excellent players that will be.

"It's an opportunity for other players and their development," Garbajosa said. "It's a chance for other players who also have a right and have done enough to be with the national team and who otherwise wouldn't play in the summer because there are 12 monsters (like NBA stars Pau and Marc Gasol and Nicola Mirotic)."

Garbajosa also brushed aside criticism by the Euroleague over windows. There are many national team players in the Euroleague and that competition, despite having knowing for several years about the new system of competition to be implemented, has released a calendar that does not observe the windows. It has instead announced a regular season that consists of 30 rounds.

"There is talk about the invasion of the calendar but the Euroleague is only concerned about the interest of a number of clubs, (they) went to 30 (rounds) by a law decree," Garbajosa said. "That is also an invasion. FIBA worries about the global good and not just some clubs."

FIBA